Student success
Louise talks about being a flight attendant
We have been so lucky to catch up with Louise Swann, an ITC graduate flying as a long haul flight attendant with Air New Zealand, you may have even seen her in some of their inflight satefy videos.
Check out the video of her story, she is such an inspiring person and just shows how you CAN achieve something when you make a plan, commit to doing it and believe in yourself.
Posted in Student success | Tagged Flight attending, ITC graduates, travel careers |Taufiq Asad – a different world
Posted on 20/08/2012 by itcnzTaufiq Asad moved from Afghanistan to New Zealand with his family in 2004.
“I had no idea where I was going,” he says. “I just got on the plane with my family. I remember my sister telling me we were going to New Zealand, which was at the end of the world!”
“We landed in New Zealand and came out of the airport and I saw a different world… so clean and beautiful. I loved the fresh air.”
The family started to settle into their new country, a process that Taufiq describes as being “like a newborn baby” because of the incredible difference between living in a war-torn country like Afghanistan and a peaceful country like New Zealand.
It was also the first time he and his sister had seen their father for eight years: “It was the best feeling ever,” he says.
Taufiq briefly attended Western Springs College before the family moved to Mt Roskill and he began attending Mt Roskill Grammar, which seemed to him to be “the biggest school ever!”
The transition to an English-speaking school was difficult: “I spoke very little English and understood little as well. I was like a small fish in an ocean – I felt lost for months,” he says.
“But then slowly things started to change for me, as I met new people and made friends with them. My teachers spent a lot of time and effort teaching me English, and I spent every night learning English for the next day so it could help reduce my problems in school.”
Taufiq worked hard at his studies and his effort paid off when he received a certificate at the end of his first year for being the second highest achieving student in his class.
“I was very proud of myself,” he says, “and so were my parents.”
Taufiq continued to work hard “step by step, year by year” until he graduated from high school.
He knew he wanted to work in the travel industry, but was unsure what path to take. One fortuitous day he opened his mailbox to find an ITC information booklet.
“I discussed it with my father and he supported me and told me I should go check it out and see what they could offer.”
Taufiq met with Lesley Brough, who talked him through all the course options and requirements.
Taufiq chose to study aviation, as he was interested in working at airports and travel agencies. He began the six-month course in June 2011.
“During those six months I met a lot of beautiful people, including my awesome teachers,” he says. “I don’t have the words to describe them, but they changed my life and helped me get to where I wanted. I don’t think I will ever be able to repay what they did for me.”
After graduating from ITC Taufiq experience the frustrations of trying to find a job. He was working at a café, but knew that wasn’t what he ultimately wanted to do.
Impressed by the hardworking student who showed such gratitude to his teachers and the college, ITC’s account manager Ceri Jenkins helped Taufiq to get a job interview at Jucy Rentals.
“Ceri was always there for me and helped me a lot,” says Taufiq.
After a successful interview Taufiq was offered a job in April 2012.
“Jucy is a great place to work,” he says. “The people here are friendly and helpful and I’m happy to be part of the Jucy team.”
With his usual hardworking attitude Taufiq says he does his best every single day at work and his manager is happy with him.
“We have busy days and quiet days but that’s part of the business,” he says. “On quiet days I help the groomers and wash cars with them, which I’m very good at! The staff here appreciates what I do for them, including outside working hours.”
While Taufiq enjoys his work at Jucy he still hopes to work for one of the airlines or at the airport. With his attitude and his willingness to go the extra mile there’s no reason to think he won’t achieve his dream.
Posted in News, Student success | Tagged Student stories, studying at ITC | Leave a replyITC Student Lisi Kaihau Lands her Dream Job
Posted on 18/07/2012 by itcnzITC student Lisi Kaihau who has been studying on the ITC Certificate of Aviation course, has just been accepted to her dream job as a flight attendant for Emirates.
Our Botany Campus Manager, Natasha Allen, who was formerly a senior flight stewardess for Emirates, and tutor Ashley Mailei who flew for Polynesian Airlines have both given Lisi plenty of encouragement and support.
“We are all very proud of her,” says Natasha, “not to mention a wee bit envious of the lifestyle she is about to embark on!”
Natasha talked to Lisi about her interview experience with Emirates.
Natasha: Congratulations, Lisi – what an achievement!
Lisi: I feel very excited and can’t believe that it is happening to me – it’s a dream come true.
Natasha: What was the interview process like?
Lisi: I actually really enjoyed the whole interview process, although it was quite intense! It was in three stages. The first stage was the Open Day, which was quite daunting – over 200 people turned up! We all handed in our CVs and they took our measurements and height.
I think that the first impressions we created at this stage were incredibly important because we were notified that night or the next day if we were successful.
Natasha: What was the next stage of the process?
Lisi: The next stage was Group Assessment Day. There were two groups of 25 and the day was spent doing role plays and team games. For example, we broke into groups of five and had to collectively agree on five items that we would take with us if we were stranded.
Our role play was a lot of fun – my group had to pretend that we were on a flight where a passenger fell in love with a flight attendant!
At the end of the day we were given a piece of paper that said whether we had been successful or not. When I was given the piece of paper my nerves were at their highest and I really expected it to be a rejection. When I opened the piece of paper and it said “Congratulations” I had to read it a few times to really believe it! Only 12 candidates were selected from our original group of 25.
Natasha: What was the third stage?
Lisi: That was the one-on-one interview. It was one hour of answering questions about customer service, my experience and how I would deal with complaints – it was very challenging.
Natasha: How did you feel you went in the interview?
Lisi: I actually felt quite positive that I had performed well, but then you really just don’t know. They said we would receive a phone call in a couple of months – and when I did I really couldn’t believe the news – I had got it!
Natasha: What advice would you give other students who want to get into the travel and tourism industry?
Lisi: This whole experience has really shown me that what the tutors say to us at ITC is true – they push and encourage students to go for their dreams and never give up. My training at ITC has definitely helped me with my confidence and knowledge of the travel and tourism industry and thanks to them and my hard work it has all paid off, and in August I will be flying to Dubai to embark on an exciting career as flight attendant for Emirates!
Congratulations to Lisi from everyone at ITC!
Posted in Student success | Tagged Travel and tourism careers | Leave a replyThe Top 8 Qualities of an Awesome ITC Student
Posted on 25/06/2012 by itcnzWe have so many great students; we thought we’d ask our tutors what makes a truly awesome one. (Read carefully – remember they’re the ones who mark your assignments!)
1. PUNCTUAL
We know it’s early, we know you haven’t had your coffee yet, we know you just had that one last thing you had to tell your friend before you came in… But an awesome ITC student arrives on time, and even 5 minutes early if possible! It shows respect for your classmates, your tutors and your own studies and future career.
2. POLITE
We pride ourselves on being like a family at ITC, but that doesn’t mean you should treat the other students or tutors like you treat your little brother or sister! Be polite, smile, say “hi”. A good mood is like a cold in that it’s incredibly infectious (but in a good way). Try spreading the joy today!
3. PREPARED
You wouldn’t go to stay at a friend’s place without bringing your toothbrush, would you? Part of coming to ITC each day is thinking ahead and making sure you have what you need. Bring your own stationery, bring your own lunch or lunch money; heck, bring your own toothbrush if you want!
4. WELL-PRESENTED
We’re not saying you have to look like a super model – that’s what the tutors are here for – but you should look like you take yourself and your studies seriously. If you don’t, no one else will either.
5. HARDWORKING (AND PLAYING)
This is truly and honestly one of those times in your life where you get out what you put in. We know, we know, it’s a cliché and your parents are always saying it… but this time it’s true! The more you throw yourself into your studies and take advantage of the opportunities ITC offers you, the better you will understand how you work best, what kind of job you want and how you can get there.
And don’t forget to play hard too – ITC’s calendar is jam-packed with activities for students to take part in, like sports days, beach picnics, Mid-winter Carnival, Global Wednesday, Valentine’s week, St Patricks Day, the Easter Bonnet parade, and student Trivial Pursuit challenges! They’re a great way to meet some new folk, have a huge amount of fun and explore your creativity.
6. CONSISTENT
You don’t have to be a robot (although it would be cool if you were!), but consistently turning up to class and turning in your assignments on time and to a high standard recommend you as a student and a potential employee. Also, if you always turn in high quality assignments on time, your tutors are much more likely to be sympathetic if you genuinely need us to cut you some slack at some stage.
7. PATIENT
We do enjoy reading your assignments (no, really!), but we are only human, so please do be patient with us if we haven’t got them back to you yet. We know that our students put a lot of work into their assignments and we believe they deserve our full considered attention when it comes to marking them – and that takes time.
8. PROFESSIONAL
This might seem like a funny word to use to describe a student, but at ITC we are pretty serious about preparing you for a real job in the real world. We spend a great deal of time and energy working out how we can best help you achieve your dreams – but in the end it’s up to you. Treat your studies as a real opportunity to start your professional career in the airline, travel and tourism industries and you will be amazed at how far you can go!
The Right Attitude Shines Through at ITC’s Graduation
Posted on 12/06/2012 by itcnzOver 100 students recently graduated from International Travel College’s range of airline, travel and tourism certificate courses, and 11 students graduated from the International Air Transport Association’s IATA Foundation Diploma. The 320 staff, students and guests celebrated on 29 May in the beautiful ballroom at The Langham in Auckland.
“The IATA diploma is an internationally recognised qualification in airlines and ticketing and one that we are very proud to be able to deliver,” says ITC’s Managing Director Kerry Priestly.
IATA is an international trade body that represents some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled international air traffic. As an IATA Authorized Training Center, ITC is authorised to teach IATA’s travel, tourism and aviation training programmes. In 2011, the college was named as one of IATA’s top 10 Asia Pacific Authorized Training Centers.
Donna Kermode – group training manager for Stella Travel Services’s retail arm, Harvey World Travel and United Travel – was this year’s guest speaker. Donna has a wealth of experience in the airline and business travel sectors.
“Donna’s speech was especially pertinent, as she has taught some of our students,” says Kerry. “Eight of them were handpicked to attend the Harvey World Travel Training School that Donna and her colleagues ran at ITC last year. It was not a required part of their course work, and Donna made special mention of ITC students’ motivation and said that they really have the ‘wow’ factor.”
Her speech focused on the importance of having the right attitude in order to succeed in the travel industry. She praised ITC’s students for their flexibility, adaptability, their helpfulness and their eagerness to learn.
“She gave our graduates a real sense of what they can achieve with their ITC qualifications,” says Kerry.
As well as the certificates and diplomas, the following awards were given for special achievements.
Distance learning awards
Personal Achievement Award : Te Uruhina Vercoe (NZ Explore – America’s Cup sailing trip for 2)
Outstanding All Round Achievement Award: Lynda Scott (Fullers – Taste of Waiheke for 2)
City campus awards
Academic Excellence Award : Laura Orsbourn (Intercity – Waitomo Explorer day tour for 2)
College Life Award : Taufiq Asad (Sky Dive Auckland – 16,500 foot jump)
Outstanding All Round Achievement Award : Nicky Bennett (Novotel Ellerslie – 1 night’s accom )
Student of the Year : Pattananawadee Singhapanit (Stray Tours – South Island Willy Pass)
Botany Campus Awards
Academic Excellence Award : Rosemary Munro (Intercity – Bay of Islands day tour for 2)
College Life Award : Aisea Halo (AJ Hackett – Auckland Bridge Bungy Jump)
Outstanding All Round Achievement Award: Emma Pilkington (YHA Rotorua – 2 night’s accom)
Student of the Year : Aisea Halo (Magic Tours – Northern Discovery Pass)
ITC would like to thank the sponsors who gave us such fantastic prizes, and a special thank you to our major sponsor for the evening, The Langham, Auckland.
ITC Students get ‘real’ work experience
Posted on 20/04/2012 by itcnzHere is a great blog, written by one of our students who has been working at Nomads as part of his course.
“Wassup guys my names Mitch I’m currently studying Travel & Tourism at The International Travel College of NZ. At the moment I’m doing work experience at Nomads Fat Camel Backpackers Hostel and enjoying every second. I was also lucky enough to go on a free Auckland Day Trip with Stray Bus and I had the best time of my life, like OMG!
To begin our journey, we headed over to the Sky Tower where we played a game called Heads & Tails, lucky for me I won the game, yeaaahhhh buuddy! Winning the game meant that I had to do the Sky Jump off the Sky Tower and I thought, you know, this is nothing… but already the elevator up to the last floor was nerve racking and I couldn’t believe that I was actually jumping off the Sky Tower. Next minute I’m standing on the edge of the Sky Tower and looking down, going from “this is nothing” to “nah stuff this man, I can’t do it”!
But being from the North Shore, we ain’t scared of anything… just saying! After that not so scary jump we headed down to the Auckland Domain where Chucky, our Stray Bus guide, told us a story of how the land of NZ came up from the ground, I’m sure he was talking smack (kidding Chucky).
After that long story we cruised over to the Sir George Memorial Drive in our comfortable Stray Bus, where we all hung out, had a bit of fun and took heaps of mean photos. From there we made our way to the lovely Gables Speight’s Ale House, did some beer tasting, had a mean feed, and just chilled out having a laugh. Now that our stomachs were full, we departed the Gables Speight’s Ale House and moved to our last stop – the Harbour Bridge, where a few of the buddies (Stray Bus Passengers) got to do the AJ Hackett Bungy Jump. The walk under the bridge was awesome and the view of Auckland was just AMAZING.
Anyways after an awesome Auckland Day Trip, a long day of travelling and seeing mountains and seas we finally called it a day and headed back to our homes (Hostels). I want to give a big shout out to Stray Bus for the free Auckland day trip, I had an awesome time and another big shout out to The Nomads Fat Camel Backpackers Hostel Crew for giving me the opportunity. Well that’s the end of my blog I guess. Hehe!
Goodbye Your Mitchyboy
http://nomadshostels.com/backpackers-blog/stray-bus-auckland-day-trip-sky-tower-jump/
Posted in Student success | Leave a replyDistance Online Learning Career Successes
Posted on 17/04/2012 by itcnzThree ITC online learning students share their stories
Sharon is working as the receptionist for Auckland Transport. The company wanted the person who took the position to have a qualification in travel and Sharon hopes to expand into other areas now the Rugby World Cup rush is over.“I’m enjoying this position,” she says. “I’m working with a great bunch of people and my boss is just lovely. I really enjoy all the face-to-face customer interaction, so this suits me better than a call centre.”
Part of ITC’s distance online learning course is in career preparation. Sharon says: “Your help with CV writing and interviewing was invaluable. I have shared my CV with others who have been looking for jobs unsuccessfully for quite some time and were not getting interviews. As soon as they followed your fantastic pointers for a good CV they have had interviews straight away, and got the jobs as well! So thank you on behalf of my friends and myself!”
Laura in Nelson has found a job in the tourism industry. She has some excellent advice for other students. “I applied for a job at a motel down the road from my house. They had an ad in the paper for a cleaner. When I had my interview they told me that they wanted to hire someone they could train up to do reception as well.
“I have been there since the middle of October and they have been great and taught me so much. I am now confident in answering the phone, taking bookings and checking guests in and out. My certificate from ITC has really paid off.
“I love my new job and am getting heaps of experience – and I thought I was just going to be a cleaner! My advice to other students is to take any job they are offered and let the employers know how keen they are to learn and take on more responsibilities.”
Laura from Christchurch recently found a job with House of Travel as an online consultant. “My new job is going really well. I love it! I sort out all the bookings from the website, ticketing them, informing passengers of schedule changes, assisting with flight date changes etc. It is good fun and very varied!
“I work with a great team of people, which really helps and my manager is lovely and very flexible with the roster. I work 4 days a week, 10 hours a day on shifts, which works well for me.”
ITC staff members were so pleased when Laura found this job. Laura did well in her studies, despite the fact that she lost her home in the September 2010 earthquake. After the February quake in 2011 Laura stayed with her mum in Auckland for a while. Even though this was a tough year, Laura did extremely well in her studies and received an ITC Award with Distinction.
Posted in News, Student success | Leave a reply
Student Profile – Jessy Glasgow-Gavin
Posted on 26/03/2012 by itcnzRecent ITC student Jessy Glasgow-Gavin certainly has the enthusiasm and passion needed for a career in the travel and tourism industry. Jessy describes herself as “a bubbly, outgoing person who loves meeting new people and researching different cultures. I also love singing and being with friends and family.”
Jessy undertook one of ITC’s distance learning courses at the suggestion of her careers advisor at Stratford High School in Taranaki. She enjoyed the course so much that, on a visit to Auckland, she jumped at the chance to visit the campus.
Jessy says that seeing the campus and the Airport Training Centre “helped me decide that this was the place for me”. The centre, which simulates a real-world airport, includes check-in desks, a customs and gate lounge, and a plane to assist with training students in in-flight service.
But what really made the decision for her was the people: “Everyone at ITC is friendly, welcoming, and gives you lots of encouragement, which for someone like me coming from a small town to a huge city was amazing – I needed that.”
Jessy is currently studying for the Certificate in Travel and Tourism Level 3 and will continue on with the Certificate in Travel and Tourism Level 4.
“The course I’m doing at ITC is so much fun,” she says; “ and I love to see all the ITC staff smiling at me as I walk through the lift doors each morning.”
Jessy has big plans for her future: “I would love to be a flight attendant or become a travel agent and explore the amazing world we live in.”
“I encourage everyone who is interested in a career in travel and tourism to go for it,” she says. “Keep up the hard work to get there, because I believe everyone can achieve what they want.”
Posted in Student success | Leave a replyITC Students Graduate in Style
Posted on 03/08/2011 by itcnzThe International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) celebrated its 2011 graduation in style at the Langham Hotel, Auckland.
Graduates, their family and friends, ITC staff and representatives from the travel and tourism industry enjoyed an evening with drinks and nibbles in the Langham’s luxurious Grand Ballroom.
ITC Managing Director Kerry Priestly opened the evening, welcoming the guests to the special occasion, and Campus Managers Carla Sutton, Kirsten Leith and Michelle Chatfield also spoke throughout the evening.
The keynote speaker for the evening was Kate McCardle, the Membership Travel Services Manager for American Express. Kate began by asking the audience to close their eyes and imagine themselves packing to go on a trip, arriving at the airport and feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation. Kate said this is how she feels about the travel industry, highlighting the freedom and opportunity to meet with new people and experience new cultures.
Kate, who originally enrolled in a Bachelor of Science at university in Australia, was bitten by the travel bug when she spent several months travelling in East Africa. On her return she left university and studied travel and tourism in Sydney. She is now in charge of over 40 staff at the American Express call centre in Auckland. Kate has just returned from a visit to American Express in Sweden to perform a benchmarking exercise on their systems and processes. American Express customers recently voted Sweden first for customer service; New Zealand was second and Kate wanted to find out where they could improve.
“That level of commitment to being the best, and being excited about being the best was so inspirational for our graduates. The fact that Kate got to travel to Sweden and back via a conference in Monte Carlo and a trip to the UK also helped!” says ITC Marketing Director Claire Huxley.
As well as the graduation certificates, the following awards were given for special achievements:
Outstanding Academic Achievement: Harpreet Kaur (Distance Learning)
Outstanding All Round Achievement: Samantha Hunt (Botany) and Jayne Whitford (City)
Personal Achievement: Barbara Davis (Distance Learning) and Brooke Chapman (Botany)
Academic Excellence: Juanita Matila (Botany) and Ashleigh Beaufoy (City)
College Life: Sera Naitoko (Botany) and Robert Koto (City)
Student of the Year: Ruth Barlett from (Botany) and Cristina Traczinski (City)
ITC provided two professional photographers for the evening who busily snapped the graduates with their families and receiving their certificates. Graduates will all receive a free DVD containing photos from the evening.
Congratulations to all this year’s graduates, and a very big thank you to ITC’s Student Services Advisor Toni Waterhouse, who organised this wonderful event.
A special thank you to the Langham Hotel, the major sponsor for the evening, and to all our other sponsors: Thrifty , Intercity, Nomads , Rainbows End, Fullers , Citylife/Heritage , YHA , AJ Hackett , Explore NZ and Stray .
The International Travel College of New Zealand has campuses in Botany and central Auckland, as well as offering courses by distance and online learning. They have been the premium supplier of full-time and part-time training programmes for the airline, travel and tourism industries since 1996.
Posted in Student success | Tagged Graduation | Leave a replyCristina a Top Performer at ITC
Posted on 27/07/2011 by itcnzOn Friday 22 July, International Travel College of New Zealand student Cristina Traczinski received some wonderful news. She had just been named as the student with the best performance in the country for the IATA Foundation and EBT Course.
The course is administered by the IATA Training and Development Institute (ITDI), the training arm of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – an international trade body that represents some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled international air traffic.
The International Travel College of New Zealand is an IATA Authorized Training Center (ATC), which allows it to teach the IATA Travel and Tourism and Aviation training programmes. Cristina completed the ITDI course as part of International Diploma in Tourism Management.
“We’re so proud of Cristina,” says ITC’s Managing Director Kerry Priestley. “This is an exceptional achievement and will stand her in good stead in her career.”
The letter telling Cristina of her achievement came from Ismail Albaidhani, Head of Distance Learning at IATA in Canada. It congratulates her on her performance and tells her that she may use the letter as a reference for any future job application.
Not that she needs it just yet; Cristina has just also found out that she is to start her first role in the travel and tourism industry on 1 August at travel consultancy BTI.
“What a success story!” says Kerry. “Cristina is a stand-out example of the kind of momentum that builds once people really set their sights on a dream. We work hard to give our students the training, the experience and the industry contacts to realise their dream, but in the end they have to give it their best shot – and that is exactly what Cristina has done.”
Congratulations to Cristina from all her classmates and the staff at ITC.
ITC has been a premium supplier of full-time and part-time training programmes for the airline, travel and tourism industries since 1996, and has campuses in Botany and central Auckland.
Posted in Student success | Leave a reply